In cargo holds of aircraft, it is known that loads, for example in the form of standardized pallets or containers (so-called unit load devices, ULD) can be loaded and unloaded via one or more cargo doors. When loading a cargo hold, however, the loads must often be transported away from the cargo door and into remote areas of the cargo hold. Conversely the loads must be transported back to the cargo door again when unloading the cargo hold. This can be assisted by cargo drive units, which are usually floor-mounted and fixed in position, and comprise driven rollers (so-called roller drive units or power drive units, PDU).
Conventional cargo holds comprise a plurality of such cargo drive units. As part of a loading process, a load can interact with several cargo drive units and be moved at least in sections from one cargo drive unit to the next, in order to achieve a continuous movement of the load inside the cargo hold. Reference is made here as an example to the European patent documents EP 2 813 429 A1 and EP 0 881 144 B1.
Coordinated control of the cargo drive units to achieve a desired load movement is currently accomplished by means of separate operating elements, such as joysticks or switches, for example, which have to be operated manually. However, the provision of such operating elements entails a corresponding configuration outlay and increases the complexity of the system.